


Lightyears

by ThatWasntSoBad



Series: ME Relationship Week 2020 [4]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Family, Fluff with a little sadness, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:07:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25245130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatWasntSoBad/pseuds/ThatWasntSoBad
Summary: Kassandra is on Grissom Academy, Phoenix is stopping Saren. It's a simple catch up, but the words of a simple poem reminds them of the siblings' distance.
Relationships: Female Shepard and sibling, Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard (Mentioned)
Series: ME Relationship Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1770694
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	Lightyears

"Phoenix, thank God you're okay. I was terrified I had -" The teenage girl sighed. "You had me for a moment there, not gonna lie. I couldn't contact you. Couldn't get through to James…"

Phoenix was sat in her chair, eyeing the screen of her computer, with a hot water bottle against her torso in an attempt to get warm. For all of Noveria's charm, the cold wasn't the most welcoming. Really, she wasn't sure if Noveria could even be described as charming: corruption through the ranks, Rachni pouring through vents, Geth stored in boxes. To Krogan that probably sounded like paradise. 

She was participating in a video call with her sister and she was grateful to see her face. 

"We're okay now, Kassandra." She offered her youngest sister a smile, although her cheeks hurt from the chill that still lingered on her skin. "We're all fine." 

"I believe you, it's just…" Fingers ram through the side fringe of her tousled hair, which was previously in a neat, low ponytail. "I never knew our parents and you were always the closest to a Mum I had."

"Poor Aunt." 

"She tries but… you… you sang hushabye mountain to get me to sleep. You stayed up when I couldn't sleep. You read stories to me even when you were on duty so I could sleep. Don't get me wrong, Aunt was brilliant but, I think you just… get me. And I remember when I was a kid, you would surprise me every time you came back. And you gave me these items, things I still have today in a box. I just… the thought of losing you kills me. I still listen to those old recordings you did, you know? Those songs and stories and old videos. Recordings older than me of you on the piano. You were so amazing at it."

She stopped playing. The keys were chilled, melodies cold. She used to play her parents’ favourite songs. It was all she knew who to play. She tried to pick it up again but… she never could. Like if she did everything she had left would be destroyed any given chance. 

"Yeah. You know what it's like. Interests change, right?" 

Kassandra hummed. "Yeah. But I'm not here to be a downer." She held up her index finger as she smiled. "Wait just a minute. I've shot something I want to show you." Kassandra's grin as she stood was bright. It was hard to believe it had already been a month since the operation to install her implant, the recovery being far smoother than both the sisters had originally thought. "I started up biotic lessons a couple of days ago, by the way."

"So soon after your surgery?" 

There was a ruckus out of the frame and she saw Kassandra reach up to open a cupboard of some kind, only seeing the bottom of the door open. "They keep a careful watch for the first month and if I get some kind of head injury - even tripping over my own two feet - they do a series of tests to make sure the implant isn't rattled. But the team here is wonderful! For a secure facility, practically isolated, we're still allowed to contact family. I don’t know what actually goes on anywhere else in the facility, got some high security here. But most of what we learn is kind of like what we learn in school anyways, plus extra. Being a biotic and all.”

"I take it you're beginning to settle in?" 

She fell silent for a moment, stilling for a second too long. "Not exactly. Haven't got friends to speak of. Still that kid who sits in the back of the class, getting anxiety when we have to work in groups and teams. But… it's not like I'm being bullied and people are welcoming enough."

"But does that make you happy?" 

"You know what I'm like, 'Nix. Too many people and I'm miserable as sin. Prefer to be alone at a table than surrounded by too many."

"That's not answering my question, Kass."

A sigh. "Okay. I'm as anxious as ever. And I want to see rolling hills and trees, hear the dawn chorus, watch the sunset. I miss the smell of the rain, the sun on my skin and the wind on my face. But I'm alive, I get a nice view of the stars, and I see Elysium every day. It's not all bad. I'm sure by next year I'll have something  _ good.  _ "

Phoenix frowned. "Hey. Listen to me. You are an amazing person. Don't beat yourself up over needing time to settle. If I wasn't on this mission with the same crew as my last job with Anderson, I'd still be feeling alone."

Kassandra laughed and returned to her seat. "Yeah. You have the, uh, Staff-Lieutenant with you." There was a teasing glint in her eye. "Yeah, James told me about your little crush."

"He’s still on about that?”

  
“I don’t think he  _ thinks  _ it’s true. Just teasing you over it. But  _ I  _ have a suspicion it’s true.”   
  


Phoenix rose a brow. “Oh yeah? How so?”   
  
“Even through the video I can see you blushing. And you tensed your arm a little - trying not to scratch at your brow or nose I reckon.”

Phoenix scoffed. “You’re pretty observant.”

  
“Gotta be when my oldest sister hid pain and injuries all the time. All so the family wouldn’t worry.”

  
Guilt washed over the Commander. She looked away for a moment. “Kassandra, I -”

“C’mon, no need to look so forlorn.” Kassandra’s light tone returned Phoenix’s attention to her sister. “You’re stressed and I made a couple of things with my art supplies.” Her touch on the objects she picked up was gentle. She held up two A5 canvases, paint covering them both. She recognised one as the Citadel - the Mass Relay statue - and the other as the Voyager Cluster. 

“Kassandra, they’re beautiful.” Although they weren’t to a professional standard, they were far better than any drawing she’d ever known a fourteen-year-old to draw. Phoenix had a small box full of Kassandra’s smaller pictures - sketches, paintings, markers. “Did you use watercolours for Voyager?”

  
Kassandra hummed. “Yeah. It was a lot tougher than it looked and some of the colours bled into a patchy mess. Came out better than the practice pieces.”

  
“And for a first attempt - ignoring the practices - it’s amazing! The fact I could tell it was the Voyager system is saying something, considering last time I saw a painting of yours I couldn’t tell what it was. And the Mas Relay statue is nice, too! I can tell you’ve been studying lighting.”   
  
“Yeah. From all those photos you send my way. I’ve got another five sketches. It’s… it’s all I’ve been doing in my spare time.”

Phoenix smiled at her words. If she was there with her, she’d have pulled her into her side by now. As it was, her arms twitched at the thought of doing so, wanting to reach out and grab her hand. “You’ve improved a lot. And I’m glad you managed to continue your hobby during this mess.”

Kassandra looked up from her art as she set the pieces down. She looked glassy-eyed. “I also wrote a poem. Not sure if it’s any good, but -”

  
“Read it to me.”

  
The biotic nodded and piked up aa piece of paper from her desk. She swallowed and took a break before she began to read:

“Petals fall and the sun sets,   
The moon rises and stars shine.   
You may be lightyears away   
But I see you every day.

I see your smile when it rains,   
Hear your grumble when it snows.   
You’re sat on the window sill,   
Watching fauna as you sing.

  
We may be lightyears apart,   
But you are always with me.   
And I dream that one day soon,   
I will see your smile again.”

  
Phoenix felt the gentle tear that rolled down her cheek, smiling at Kassandra with a comforting warmth as she wiped at her cheek. Her heart swelled in quiet sadness, yet silent pride remained, conjoined with the everlasting love she had for her sister.   
“I miss you, too. And I promise I’ll see you in person soon.”

“I know.” Kassandra’s voice cracked momentarily as her lips quivered. They moulded into a lopsided smile and her voice turned quiet. “You always keep your promises.”


End file.
